Key VAR Moments: Penalty Controversy, Overturned Goal, and a possible Missed DOGSO Red Card

Andrew Wiebe is back for another edition of Instant Replay as he breaks down the most controversial plays from Matchday 21!
00:00 Instant Replay Matchday 21
00:18 RSL PK overturned by VAR
01:48 Pablo Ruiz goal overturned by VAR
02:45 No foul for possible DOGSO
04:07 Insigne goal disallowed for offside
05:15 VAR awards STL a penalty on Mensah
06:00 Coronel kicked in the face
06:41 Finlay goal stands for ATX
07:04 Lodeiro throws ball at ORL bench
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[@natobrittonfutbolfun4328]

That rsl Minnesota game was crazy to say the least

[@Dontbestupid999]

The "keep the flag down" is exactly what the A/R did. Then at the end of the play, he raised his flag, as instructed, to indicate he thought it was offside -- they aren't supposed to keep the flag down forever and wait for VAR -- wouldn't even have A/R's if that was the case.

[@MrCho14]

Just when I feel like Wiebe is getting it......

[@nickychicky562]

@@MrCho14^

[@Therealskythe]

Are you sure that's what they're supposed to do?

[@ryanalytic]

💯

[@tenorref]

Appreciate the comment about refereeing being tough. Their view at field level is two dimensional while most observers have the advantage of the third. That view of the RSL player blocking the keeper’s view is one that 3Ders would not get. It’s all about the referee getting the angle that allows her/him to see everything that is happening in each and every interaction on the field and the sideline. (Just try to imagine how hard that could be.)

[@nathanc8478]

By the human eye, I could see how the AR thought that Insigne was offside by a pretty good margin. Also, you stop on the kick was a frame or two before the ball left his foot, so it would be very hard to overturn a call like that. So I understand what you are saying when you think he should keep his flag down in close calls, but he may have not seen it a close call in that instance.

[@seamuscronin3153]

referee crew in the rsl game was terrible

[@elosoguymon]

Thank you for explaining the Ruiz goal. I could not understand why it was taken away from us before. Cheers

[@andytretten]

On the Toronto offside, you’re incorrect that the ARs are instructed to keep their flag down and let VAR decide. They are instructed to keep their flag down and “delay” to see if their decision even matters to allow the goal to maybe scored and VAR to intervene if they made an error. But once the ball goes into the net, they have to make a call on the field as they saw it (offside in this case).

[@attktitan6057]

Exactly. At this level, an AR cant necessarily go “I think it’s offside but I’m gonna keep my flag down after the play to let VAR handle it” because if they don’t, you would either be making a huge mistake in your head, or the team overturns it without VAR and that would be odd at this level because VAR is used so much.

[@itsprimetime9865]

he was onside tho thats the issue

[@andytretten]

@@itsprimetime9865 That’s a different concern. Maybe the AR missed the call, but that isn’t a clear and obvious error. My point is that the AR called it as he saw it with a delay which is the correct procedure. Webe said the AR should let close calls go to VAR which is the incorrect procedure.

[@itsprimetime9865]

@@andytretten oh i'm not complaining about the Late Flag thats Normal and the correct thing to do... with the AR ... but it wasn't offside thats my issue

[@Three4OneDP]

​@@itsprimetime9865 you can't say that confidently

[@quinnvanderpoel5029]

some bad officiating this week, in particular in the RSL match

[@rawyason]

Only advocating for a yellow when going in head high with your studs is definitely an interesting opinion.

[@MachoTM]

The toronto angle is not accurate as its not when the ball is kicked.

[@Therealskythe]

Awesome series! Thank you ppl for this. Keep em coming.

[@newguyiswinning]

RSL definitely got screwed by VAR. With the PK, he even clipped his foot Would not want that VAR crew again

[@lordfarquad7750]

I don't get how that VAR has a job.

[@Char1zardz]

The St Louis pen Jackson doesn’t play the man he wasn’t even going towards the ball when Mensah is. Cmon Wiebe do better

[@jord.an6123]

As an A-league fan, man i wish we had this kinda show for our league. I know its just decent referee decision anaysis, but its a great little place for vindication if youre screwed over by a devcision Oh but also, mate, please get a better microphone or turn your gain down lol. Your voice is blown out to the point I gotta know if its a stylistic decision lol

[@brendanmontgomery87]

While the officiating in the RSL game was bad (particularly due to the VAR official), they got the DOGSO one correct. Minnesota player grabs and shoved the RSL player out of the way in order to get the ball - so play advantage or no call is correct.

[@Not_a_smart_man]

What are you talking about. The “push” to get the ball has absolutely nothing to do with the DOGSO foul

[@void_skyy]

I agree with you. If the Minnesota player did NOT foul the RSL defender before getting the ball, it would have been DOGSO. But he clearly did!!!

[@Bulmyeolja]

You are either totally out of your mind or incredibly soft if you think that constituted a foul

[@dbell5950]

Watch SKC vs LAFC. Khiry barely touched the center back but goal was called back. Referees have been making offensive fouls leading to opportunities a point of emphasis.

[@AlexGonzalez-lq9iu]

That is absolutely not why they didn’t send off the RSL player…they got this one way wrong. Probably tried to makeup for getting that pk wrong if this happened afterward, but I can’t think of an explanation

[@throwaway3024]

As a goal keeper I can’t say how much I dislike the line of sight rule that disallowed Ruiz’s goal. I understand that the line of sight is obstructed but cmon. Someone is always bound to be obstructing it and it’s just part of the game. It’s such a frustrating rule to have. I’d understand if an attacker was within a few yards to the keeper or intentionally obstructing, but I’d love to see a rule change there

[@MrCho14]

This is the one of the few I think was called well. The attacker was clearly off and the keeper was clearly affected by looking around him to the right as the shot went to the left. Some of the other ones called this year I think were questionable at best.

[@Stevebeeeee]

I don’t know any Orlando fans that wanted that to be a Red Card on Lodeiro.. Yellow was the correct call

[@jacobsavage5880]

1:35 that’s the right use of VAR in my opinion I get how someone can say that was a foul while looking at the side or angle but if you look at the angle off of the goal line, it doesn’t appear there’s much contact he’s got his hands on him, but no pulling, grabbing pushing. Hard call to make in the moment, but great use of VAR.

[@whilliambergenwall8137]

Not clear and obvious error by the referee. If you go by the book to 100%, you may suggest a penalty is the right decision. Therefore it is wrong by VAR to intervene If the referee wouldn’t have blown for penalty, VAR should not have intervened either. Because non of those decisions would be an obvious error I would not have blown for penalty in first hand, first look. Maybe if VAR would call me out to the screen

[@blakey5376]

This is why you aren't a referee, Andrew

[@jakesimpson5233]

I think you nailed the RSL calls, well done

[@bradleyklemetson375]

Agreed. And honestly, I think he’s right that Ojeda or Oviedo whoever that was, deserved red.

[@WhatToDoInOneDay]

Terrible penalty overturned for RSL. Robbed of a clear pen

[@jacktruitt5877]

4:07 praise the almighty offside flag!

[@jad.ampXaep]

I will have to disagree coronel is obviously coming out his box to take the ball out and the atlanta player knows that so taking the risk of raising your leg that high is reckless but making full contact onto his head is a red anyday

[@TepidWater]

That refereeing in the first match is just terrible.

[@jomarzan]

I think that the RSL-Minnesota game is a great example of the inconsistency in MLS refereeing. Penalty. No penalty. Goal. No goal. Foul. No call.

[@r.a.contrerasma8578]

I would call red on the studs to the face. As an attacker you can't be worried subjectively where another player's head is at. You're already taking that risk with the high boot. If you make contact, that's the chance you take--and the price you pay.

[@KirkWaiblinger]

Agreed. The boot is above his own hips. That's simply endangering the safety. Different argument if the keeper were at his knee level

[@noahtalley4351]

Red for throwing the ball? Unless there’s way too much force in the throw, it’s not a red card!

[@Pofdmanaxe]

This ref should be placed on leave she was so bad 😂😂

[@matteocarlini27]

The Referee has to listen to what VAR says because if they don’t, there is chance they won’t see another game

[@kcsniper1243]

The missed dogso on Real Salt Lake game was huge mistake by VAR. I can't understand why tori missed it live. She sees the ball go right and assumes the ball was touched by the defender. But the VAR should not be missing that

[@Jackyboy8054]

On sj vs stl it looks like the stl player tried to hit the sj player so he did not get the ball before he was going for the ball but when he got closer the stl player knew that the sj player would have got the ball so he did not play the ball and got instant karma !NO PENALTY IN MY OPINION!

[@equakesfan]

I thought it was obstruction by the STL player (Jackson) as he wasn't within playing distance of the ball when the contact occured. Might be my blue tinted glasses though...

[@AF-bk2bw]

Official at Montreal vs Charlotte fc was horrendous

[@Not_a_smart_man]

You guys should really adjust the release dates of these instant replay videos to come after PRO’s inside video review for the weeks games

[@MrCho14]

Except PRO delays theirs for a variety of reasons. This would be coming out 1 to 2 game days after it happened. Fans, especially those who don't even know that PRO has a segment, would complain non-stop.

[@treytonweavers8311]

The boot for me is far too high any person thinking at all logically would say you head that ball and I mean heal literally has stud marks on his head

[@MrCho14]

Yeah, I thought that was an odd comment that the keeper's head was longer than expected. So he doesn't lower his head (6? 12? inches max) and you have leading cleats going into the neck of chest.

[@cruz_gzz]

The Stl player clearly stops his forward motion with his left foot to move into the Sj player to take the hit and flop for a penalty clear as day he wasn't going for ball and shouldn't have been a foul or penalty

[@MrCho14]

As a SJ fan, it was a clear penalty. The attacker was positioning himself and the defender charged through the back. It's pretty clear cut.

[@PinkElephantProduck]

Where's the LAFC/Vancouver handball that wasn't called?

[@duste9]

I suppose in that particular game it would be a bad look in that match situation to call a dogso for Minnesota after overturning a penalty for rsl. That VAR seems to really be trying to make one of the few female referees look bad.

[@WaifuDaki]

Miami really went from 3-1 to 2-2 in under five minutes lmao

[@dust206sportfan]

You should have ran the video back and saw the coach who impeded the play of ladero beforehand how is that not called or an card

[@Jackyboy8054]

and you see how the stl player stops to collision into sj player when the sj player continues to get the ball

[@craigmerrill7072]

I would love to hear what kind of BS spin PRO puts on the PK being waived off in the RSL game. That is a foul in any part of the field. Inside the box makes it a PK, plain and simple.

[@thequebecoistraveler7857]

I think they waved it off since the offensive player Waited to be in the box to throw himself down. Like i dont see any push in the area different from what he was enduring outside the box.

[@ailroe9357]

Never a foul. You can tell the person running this has never played soccer in his life

[@bradleyklemetson375]

@@thequebecoistraveler7857he definitely waited to fall down until in the box (like every other player in the league). But VAR said there wasn’t a foul at all. Really? No foul at all? At least call the foul outside the box. There was definitely a foul.

[@paige9588]

I miss Simon Borg

[@majesticeagle2339]

I don’t wanna sound like I’m just hating, but from what I’ve seen Tori Penso should not be a referee. I will admit I haven’t seen all of her matches but I’ve seen her referee CLTFC Vs. Chicago and she had no control over that game, tons of horrible calls and the thing that definitely got me upset was the no calls for Charlotte when they got fouled in the penalty box 3 TIMES!!! That’s absurd. Now seeing her overturn the penalty for RSL, I still can’t understand what her thought process is

[@morosz1159]

She’s there because mls is trying to check a box on their agenda

[@Three4OneDP]

She is a decent ref. Not great, maybe just below average, but she is better than more than a couple other refs

[@th3awak3ning10]

PRO has GOT to get rid of Tori Penso. Just consistently awful calls in her games

[@Bryan_Majano]

Best

[@A_Baguette_]

Nothing from the LAFC game? LAFC played dirty and ref did nothing about it

[@Anewapproachconsult]

RSL is always getting screwed by refs. Also the keeper is going to stop the shot on the RSL DOGSO. Call a foul if you want, but no card.

[@whilliambergenwall8137]

05:45 should be a free kick to opposite team, not penalty. The white-shirted player runs into the black-shirted one

[@Three4OneDP]

Wait...even though zardes didnt touch the ball, he DID make a play on the ball, and as such it should ne offside, no?

[@smileeveryday420]

No. When the ball was kicked, Zardes was onside, so even though he makes a play on the ball, since he was in that onside position, he is allowed to do that, and it won't be called off, even though I wanted it to be (Houston fan here). By my referee eyes, everything looks legal on that play.

[@williamsampson4460]

The STL penalty is a shocking decision to me. It is obvious the STL player lunged by reaching with his left leg before contact. I could earn a penalty in MLS if all you need to do is launch yourself towards a defender and fall down.

[@dominicferris7857]

He isn’t lunging. He’s is angling his leg and body the protect the ball which he is entitled to do. The player then proceeds to barge through the back of him. Clear foul

[@williamsampson4460]

@@dominicferris7857 I still disagree because of timing. The STL players leg is still in the air at first contact. I agree that it is a foul if a leg is planted and a defender goes through the player to get the ball. In addition, the ball protect claim is dubious because of the distance and direction of the ball. To me the STL Player goes out of his way to create contact while the SJ player is tracking the ball.

[@dominicferris7857]

@@williamsampson4460 unfortunately, whether the leg is planted or not in this scenario is irrelevant. The foul is given because he barges through the players back without playing the ball. Whether his foot was planted or not wouldn’t have changed the impact of the collision or the resulting fall.

[@williamsampson4460]

@@dominicferris7857 How is a defender supposed to stop in an instant when someone jumps in front of them with the ball 2 yards away?

[@freedom4ever893]

It’s foul not penalty cuz it was out of the box

[@antman8887]

Please review every yellow card from Nashville SC - DC United match on 07/01/2023. I think this ref got a two-for-one special on yellow cards at Kmart!

[@4400seriesFAN]

Let me correct you once again, as a football referee! @6:12 It doesn't matter that the keeper lowers his head there. There is a DEFINED boundary and it is at the height level of the waist. The head can NOT go BELOW the height of the waist and the leg can NOT go ABOVE the height of the waist. The GK has every right to lower his head at that level, it is a red card for the attacker.

[@miracletutoring2123]

Penalty

[@MrJaysoul13]

She just wanted to get some attention even if it's negative

[@ittimjones]

Click bait title Not even half of these plays are VAR

[@miracletutoring2123]

Dogso

[@aaronpropes9134]

Look at DJ Taylor's hands - they are flat against the body. It's a hand-check, not a pull. I have a feeling the VAR official asked if the call was for a front pull of the jersey, and when Penso said yes, there's the clear and obvious error. Yes, it's a dangerous place to put your hands, but there's no movement of the jersey and the hand is flat. If Penso was calling for a push on the back hand - then there's no reason to overturn. But she had to call for a shirt pull that just wasn't there.

[@dallinjohnson5038]

No way man. Even if Taylor isn’t grabbing onto the jersey, it is still holding an opponent to have both hands wrapped around them, regardless of whether they are directly grabbing the jersey. That VAR overturn is such a head scratcher still.

[@aaronpropes9134]

@@dallinjohnson5038 The question is, would his hands wrapped around like that be the cause of the player's drop?When I saw the game I thought the VAR was for the placement of the foul, and was just as flabbergasted as anyone that Penso waived the foul entirely. I'm just saying that, if Penso called the penalty because of a shirt pull, then my guess is Taylor hands is why it was pulled.

[@MrCho14]

VAR wouldn't ask what the foul was. The call on the field was PK. VAR would look at it, in total, to see if there was a foul....any foul. So in this case, VAR and Penso on the review don't believe there is a foul at all.

[@aaronpropes9134]

@@MrCho14 On the PRO YT channel, you do have the VAR official occasionally ask what the call on the field was, beyond foul/pk/misconduct. If you know more about the specifics of VAR, by all means share. I got out of officiating when beeper flags were the rage, so I'm out of practice, and never got close to that level of officiating.

[@MrCho14]

​@@aaronpropes9134 I hear them say "I have a trip" or "I have a handball and PK". I'm not sure I ever hear something specific though.

[@joshuasantelises7407]

Tori Penso strikes again

[@rockytalkndawoods3057]

Referring is only tough when they decide to make a bad call. And they wonder why we get frustrated. My condolences to RSL and Minnesota fans. 💛💚🌲💚💛

[@markroberts5203]

Thanks a lot Mr. Wanabe. This was 3:25 minutes I've lost forever. And will someone ask Tori Penso to put some makeup on & let down her hair?

[@JoeyLu]

I am a grassroot referee. I think I made a big mistake last weekend. I feel sad. Now I saw this video. I feel much better. Those Pro referees are just like us. Especially if you take away the VAR they have.

[@MrCho14]

Mistakes happen. Learn and get better. (and deal with hot-headed coaches and players in between.)

[@Ryo_Dragon]

Where's the "clear and obvious' foul"? At 4:03 in the film there is contact with the ball by the RSL player and you can see the official with direct line of site. He did not call the penalty.

[@DimTeam-]

Арбитр ему свистит, мол, вон от туда бросай, не не не. именно оттуда. Игрок плюнул на ситуацию и вообще бросил мяч в скамейку) За такое я бы удалил с поля.

[@darrenmcguire7023]

I think the refs got it right in the RSL game. Taylor does have his hands on the attacker, but does not appear to be pushing or pulling. He does not make the attacker fall, but rather the attacker falls on purpose in order to get a penalty.

[@bradleyklemetson375]

The second half was soft but the first half was definitely a foul. It’s weird to me that VAR Is saying no foul at all. So weird!!

[@MrCho14]

@@bradleyklemetson375 Do we know what the restart was? After review the CR certainly could have given a foul outside the area if she thought the foul had stopped by the time they entered the area.

[@miracletutoring2123]

Yellow card

[@nerevolution]

Wiebe’s narrative 👎

[@muejif1455]

😁😁,..Varr..🙇??'..👦🏻,Now Goal/Yes Goal,On Saet/ Yes Of Saat. Card? ☺️👍🏻,.

[@mvr2579]

My mom and I watched the RSL game...at the start she said oh a girl center refereè great haven't seen that before....by the end, she was screaming, women shouldn't referee mens games.

[@MrCho14]

Hopefully your mommy can teach you how demeaning your statement above is. So many things wrong and ignorant putting aside that Penso did not have a good game nor is one of the strongest referees out there.

[@mvr2579]

@@MrCho14 lol she said it not me

[@MrCho14]

@@mvr2579 Well, we'll have to wait yet another generation to stop this nonsense in your family tree then. If it were me, I'd have been correcting my mom and certainly not repeating the nonsense.

[@kirksouth502]

Love the mansplaining. Simple. Foul outside box. Yellow card. Not last man, 2 defenders.

[@zachjohnson9107]

It's not DOGSO for Minnesota, Ojeda was grabbed just like the first call.... WHICH YOU ARGEED WITH WAS A PENALTY. Pick a side. Goodness you are not the best analyst by contradicting yourself. 🤦‍♂️

[@JavierHernandez-xs9pr]

Women 😂😂😂